New Gadget News and Reviews

New Gadget News and Reviews

GADGET REVIEW: BlackBerry Gets Biggest Order - BlackBerry, formerly known as RIM (Research In Motion) Ltd., says it has received an order for 1 million of its new smartphones, marking the largest ever single purchase in the company's history.

The Canadian company is relying on the redesigned BlackBerry to fuel a comeback. The pioneering brand lost its cachet not long after Apple's 2007 release of the iPhone, which reset consumers' expectations for what a smartphone should do.

Blackberry unveiled the new BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry Q10 in late January. The Z10 is available for purchase in a number of markets around the world and will be available in the U.S. this month.

The company did not disclose who placed the order, but said Wednesday that it came from one of its established partners. Shipments will begin immediately.

Blackberry issued the statement just ahead of its quarterly earnings report on March 28.

The company's shares jumped 77 cents on the news, or more than 5 percent, to $15.24 in late trading Wednesday. The company's stock has more than doubled since autumn on the anticipation surrounding its new devices.

BlackBerry Gets Biggest Order

RIM / Research In Motion Ltd. on Friday (3/15/2013) launched its new BlackBerry Z10 smartphone in Indonesia, the company’s third-largest market, as it rapidly loses ground elsewhere to rivals such as Apple and Samsung.

Some 300 buyers gathered at the upmarket Central Park mall in the capital Jakarta by midday – many queued outside from 7 a.m. – to snap up the Z10, already launched in Britain and Canada, and set to hit U.S. stores next week.

The Z10 is seen as critical to BlackBerry as it seeks to revive its sagging fortunes and regain its lost global market share from Apple and other smartphone makers such as Samsung.

BlackBerry users have dropped in numbers in many of its key markets, but sales are still robust in Indonesia, a nation of 240 million people recognized as the smartphone maker’s biggest market outside the U.S. and Britain.

However Google Inc.’s Android overtook BlackBerry as the most popular operating system in Indonesia in the second quarter of 2012 with more than 50 per cent of the market share, the U.S.-based International Data Corporation (IDC) said.

That is the most recent period for which rankings are available.

BlackBerry still has “many loyalists (in the country) who will still run at the first sight of the (Z10),” Sudev Bangah, the head of IDC’s Indonesia operations, told AFP.

“With the launch of the BlackBerry Z10, we feel that this market share is going to pick up a little bit more, however not significantly (enough) to offset the Android,” he said.

The Indonesia launch came after Samsung unveiled a slim, feature-rich Galaxy S4 in New York on Thursday. The South Korean consumer electronics giant said the device would roll out in 155 countries in late April.

Hengki Marzuki, 36, who tried to sneak into the Central Park shopping centre before it opened for the launch, walked out by mid-morning with a gleaming Z10, his second BlackBerry, for which he shelled out 7-million rupiah ($722 U.S.).

“He’s been waiting to buy this phone since January and he sold his Samsung Android phone to buy this,” Marzuki’s wife, Dega Fitri, told AFP.

BlackBerry Indonesia marketing director Eka Anwar said: “With the Z10, and five other products we are going to launch here, we want to make sure everyone holds only a BlackBerry Z10 and no other phone.”

But the launch was nothing like the unveiling of the BlackBerry Bold 9790 in 2011, which ended in a crush as fans tried to grab phones going at half price, in a scene resembling a rock concert.

Android-based phones have lately managed to lure away price-conscious customers, with some by Samsung and Lenovo selling for just $70, while recent models of Apple and BlackBerry cost up to 10 times more.

New BlackBerry Z10 Launched in Indonesia

BlackBerry Z10 Specification and Features - With its modern design and highly efficiency, the BlackBerry mobile phone meets all the consumer’s needs. The 16 GB internal storage on this black BlackBerry Z10 let you enjoy your favourite music, games, and applications with ease at lightning speed as the smartphone is equipped with a 1.5 GHz Dual Core processor. The BlackBerry Z10 (Unlocked) uses the next generation BlackBerry 10 operating system which makes it even faster in running all the features. Moreover, the BlackBerry mobile phone includes an 8 MP rear camera which gives you the ability to capture all the important moments of your life in HD resolution. The integrated 4.2-inch LCD display on this smartphone lets you relax while reading your preferred e-books or surfing the Web. What’s more, incorporating the 4G LTE wireless technology, this BlackBerry mobile phone helps you browse, stream, and download contents at blazing speeds.

A premium Android-powered smartphone, the Samsung Epic 4G Touch for Sprint has been designed to deliver the best multilayered entertainment experience thanks to its superior speed and display innovation. Powered by one of the fastest processors on the market--the new 1.2 GHz dual-core Samsung Exynos, the Epic 4G Touch runs on Sprint's ultra-fast 4G network (as well as 3G networks where 4G isn't available yet) for lighting quick access to movie downloads, games, and thousands of applications--all without buffering or lag time.

Enjoy on-the-go entertainment with the large 4.52-inch touchscreen and unrivaled Super AMOLED Plus technology offering deeper, richer color for a bright and vivid display. The Epic 4G Touch also includes an 8-megapixel camera/camcorder with auto-focus and flash that shoots video with incredible detail in full HD 1080p resolution, plus a 2-megapixel front-facing camera that's perfect for self-portraits or video chat.

It runs on Sprint's expanding 4G network, offering simultaneous voice and data connectivity and download speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G. Additionally, the phone can still connect to 3G data services in areas not currently served by Sprint's 4G network. The phone also includes Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking plus Mobile Hotspot capability for sharing your 3G/4G connection with up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously.

Other features include a 16 GB internal memory (with expansion up to 32 GB via optional microSD cards), Bluetooth for hands-free devices and stereo music streaming, GPS for navigation via built-in Google Maps and location-based services (plus access to the optional Sprint Navigation turn-by-turn service), personal and corporate e-mail, and up to 6 hours of talk time.

GADGET REVIEW - After months of anticipation and expectations, the New iPad from Apple has finally been announced. The device will hit the shelves March 16 and will be priced from $499-$829, which is similar to the previous iPad 2.

It will also offer a high speed 4G LTE network connection in territories with 4G in the U.S., and will be available on both the AT&T and Verizon wireless networks. However, Apple will still know that it is bound to face a tough competition against the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v.

Let's have a look at the specifications of both the devices.

Display: The new 9.7-inch New iPad has arrived with an LED-backlit IPS TFT, capacitive touchscreen with 1536 x 2048 pixels and 264 ppi pixel density. This means as much as 44 percent greater color saturation with an amazing 3.1 million pixels. Astoundingly, that's four times the number of pixels in iPad 2 and about a million more than an HDTV. The new tablet from the Cupertino-based company boasts a scratch resistant glass and an improved oleophobic coating.

The Samsung-made 10.1-inch Galaxy Tab 10.1v, on the other hand, has a TFT capacitive Touchscreen with 800 x 1280 pixels and 149 ppi pixel density.

Body Dimensions: The New iPad has dimensions of 241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4 mm and weighs about 662 grams, in comparison with Samsung Tab 10.1v's dimensions of 246.2 x 170.4 x 10.9 mm and a weight of around 589 grams.

Operating System: It is yet to be seen if the new tablets will receive updates from Apple after the new iOS version, iOS 5.1, is released. An IPSW version of iOS 5.1 is already out via Jailbreak.

The Galaxy Tab 10.1V, on the other hand, runs on Android 3.0 or Honeycomb juice. Although it was previously rumored that the device would get an Android 4.0 or Ice Cream Sandwich update in the future, nothing has been officially reveled.

Camera: When the camera specifications of both the devices are compared, it is heavily debated if the Samsung tablet has an upper hand over the New iPad.

The New iPad has arrived with a primary 5 megapixel, 2592 x 1944 pixels, autofocus rear-facing camera with iSight and CMOS sensor setup, and features such as Touch focus, geo-tagging, HDR, face detection and more with video capabilities of 1080p at 30fps and video stabilization. A front-facing secondary VGA camera is also available.

Processor: Apple had earlier promised that the next iPad would be much faster than its predecessors, and has now presented the world with a dual-core 1 GHz Cortex-A9 CPU and Apple A5X chipset. A PowerVR SGX543MP4 GPU has been further added to provide an additional boost. Although it was widely discussed and expected that Apple would come out with an A6 chipset, an A5X chipset has been delivered in the end.

The Samsung-made device is powered by a dual-core 1 GHz Cortex-A9 processor, Nvidia Tegra 2 T20 chipset and ULP GeForce GPU which is fast compared to most of the tablets in the market at the moment.

WLAN and Bluetooth: The New iPad's WLAN features include Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n with HSDPA, 21 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps, LTE, 73 Mbps; Rev. A, up to 3.1 Mbps speed. Bluetooth version 4.0 has been provided with A2DP and EDR. The Galaxy Tab 10.1V, in comparison, also comes with Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n and Wi-Fi hotspot. The device offers Bluetooth version 2.1 with A2DP and EDR and HSDPA, 21 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps speeds.

Memory: Whereas the New iPad has arrived in avatars of 16, 32 and 64 GB internal storage memory, the Galaxy Tab offers only 16 and 32 GB. External storage option is missing from both the devices which could prove to be a major blow in the upcoming months.

Battery Capacity: The New iPad has arrived with a standard Li-Po 42.5 Wh (Watt-Hour) providing Stand-by up to 720 hours and talk time up to 10 hours. Galaxy Tab 10.1v has a standard 6860 Li-Po battery which provides a massive stand-by of up to 1810 hours and talk time up to 10 hours.

Apple New iPad vs Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1v

Whether it’s keeping track of the family schedule, taking notes in Psych 101 or editing the company’s budget, Samsung Galaxy Note let’s you do it all with ease. With the 5.3-inch HD Super AMOLED display and integrated S Pen, this proficient multitasker has all the benefits of a tablet with the functionality of a smartphone. The Note’s unique S Pen makes it easy to capture ideas. It is a free flowing input experience deeply integrated with native applications. Use the S Pen for a fast and easy way to write emails and texts in free-form handwriting. You can copy and paste images as well as crop and write messages on pictures and video messages.

Galaxy Note Overview

Realize the full power of 4G with the Android-powered Samsung Galaxy Note smartphone, which runs on AT&T's ultra-fast 4G LTE network. Combined with the speed of the powerful dual-core 1.5 GHz processor and the Android 2.3 OS, you'll enjoy enhanced multitasking abilities and smooth game play. Even with the thin 0.38-inch body, weighing 6.28 ounces, you will still enjoy 10 hours of talk time and up to 10.4 days of standby time with the 2,500 mAh battery.

You also get the AT&T Mobile Hotspot service built right into the smartphone--enabling you to connect additional Wi-Fi-enabled devices to the phone's mobile broadband signal (requires appropriate data plan). This GPS-enabled phone can also access the AT&T Navigator service for turn-by-turn directions.

Other features include an 8-megapixel camera with Full HD 1080p video capture, 16 GB internal memory, microSD memory expansion to 32 GB, Bluetooth 3.0 connectivity for hands-free devices and stereo music streaming, DLNA wireless streaming capabilities, GPS for navigation and location-based services, access to over 200,000 apps in the Android Market.

5.3-inch High Definition Touchscreen

The 5.3-inch HD Super AMOLED Screen immerses you in the action like no device can. The high-definition screen has 1280 X 800 resolution to bring you breathtaking color and razor sharp detail for every type of entertainment. HD movies and TV Shows are available in a snap from Samsung's exclusive Media Hub HD. The videos you shoot in 1080p play back in 1080p on an HDTV with the optional HDTV Smart Adapter.

Samsung Approved for Enterprise It’s a big deal to be Samsung Approved for Enterprise (SAFE). A device has to support the four pillars of SAFE, including Mobile Device Management (MDM), on-device encryption (ODE), Exchange ActiveSync for corporate email/calendar/contacts (EAS) and Virtual Private Networks (VPN).
With full support for Exchange ActiveSync v.14, you'll be able to sync and manage work email, contacts and calendars, and IT departments can employ EAS policies to help protect company data. VPN support allows users to connect with corporate resources when they’re out of the office. Polaris Office, a productivity suite that’s not available in Android Market, is pre-loaded on the Galaxy Note, so you can open, view and edit Microsoft Office and Google documents on the go.

Write a Note with the S Pen
The Samsung Galaxy Note comes with the amazing S Pen to give you new ways to capture, create and share. Feel like drawing a doodle or writing a personal note in your own handwriting? Now you can. It's pressure sensitive, so it responds with various line thickness just like a real pen.